Koreans set high standard to follow at Australian Open

By martin blake

Bearing up well: Jin Young Ko celebrates with her trophy, and 'Honey' the koala (held by Rae Campbell), after winning the Australian Women's Open in Adelaide.Credit:AAP

A trio of Australians found themselves in what for women golfers is a familiar position at Kooyonga: chasing Koreans. They failed, not that it is any disgrace.

Jin Young Ko won the Women’s Australian Open by three shots, completing a wire-to-wire victory with a final-round 69 that was written in the same beautiful prose as the first three chapters.

Having started with a four-shot lead that quickly grew to six shots, her biggest challenger was another Korean, 19-year-old Hyejin Choi, who at one point moved within two shots. But Ko closed it out for her second LPGA Tour victory, and her first as a full member.

Choi is a phenomenon, previously the world’s best amateur and already ranked 12th in the world despite having just turned professional.

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This week though, she simply ran into someone better in Ko, a 10-time winner in Korea at just 22, the world No. 20 before this week and soon enough to go into the top 10.

This is the standard that they set. South Korea is to women’s golf what the All Blacks are to rugby.

‘‘My lead was four shots,’’ Ko said afterward. ‘‘But my friend said to me ‘if you … (have a) 10-stroke lead, (it is the) same feeling, so don’t (be) nervous. Relax, tomorrow is tomorrow’. So thanks to my friend.’’

For the Australians, there were moments to savour from the final day of another national Open.

Australian rookie Hannah Green tees off on the 13th hole at Kooyonga Golf Club on Sunday.Credit:AAP

Twenty-one-year-old Perth player Hannah Green played in the last group with Ko, shot 69 herself and finished outright third at 10-under par, earning a cheque for $US87,000.

She was within three after she rolled in a birdie putt at the eighth, and always thereabouts, even making a great birdie at the 17th. Green is in her first year on the main tour and has already passed $US100,000 in just two events, meaning she is already within sight of securing her playing rights for next year.

Moreover, she has shown that she can compete. Katherine Kirk carded a rousing 65, held the clubhouse lead for an hour or two at nine-under par, and continues to show improvement as a player even after 14 years on tour.

Perth’s Minjee Lee always knew she needed to go very low, and she made two birdies in the first five holes to get some momentum. But it was too tough an ask and a bogey at the par-five 16th brought her hopes to an end. Lee ended up tied-fifth.

It’s been the story of the week, Australians falling just shy of the brilliant Koreans, in particular the world No. 20 Ko, whose 17th hole told the tale. Ahead by two, she had just missed a great opportunity to virtually finish it at the 16th green.

The 17th is guarded on the right by a pond, and it was just about the only place she could have lost the tournament from there. Instead, she hit a pure seven iron to the heart of the green, rolled the slick, downhill birdie putt into the hole, and had the luxury of a triumphal walk down the 18th making jokes with her Australian caddie Dean Herden, and with the fairways lined with people.

It will certainly not be the last time that happens. ‘‘I think we will party tonight … on the beach,’’ she said.